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路易港
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Mauritius has, somewhat grandiloquently but nevertheless appropriately, been defined as "God's model for Paradise".
Indeed, the island boasts not only some of the finest beaches in the Indian Ocean, but also enchanting mountain landscapes and a rich and harmonious blend of cultures.
This cultural variety has also given rise to interesting urban landscapes, dotted with splendid Hindu temples, mosques, churches and Buddhist pagodas. The capital, Port Louis, is a typical example and is considered the quintessential multicultural city with its five Hindu, Islamic, Christian, Chinese and Creole districts. Its bustling shop-lined streets are also the business and administrative centre of Mauritius.
However, beyond the business district with its towering high-rise buildings, the capital attracts tourists with its many shopping opportunities, which range from lively little street markets to a large shopping area on the seafront with fashionable boutiques.
The city centre is still home to a surprising number of colonial buildings, which it was recently decided to preserve for their historical importance. Port Louis also has some remarkable religious buildings, which are well worth a visit. The Jummah Mosque dates from the mid-nineteenth century and is the largest on the island, boasting a charming combination of Indian, Creole and Islamic architectural features. Other interesting religious buildings include the cathedrals of Saint James and Saint Louis, and the monument of Marie Reine de la Paix, which attracts many pilgrims and offers fine views of the city.
Noordt Wester Haven was the original name of Port Louis, which was founded by the Dutch in the seventeenth century. However, it did not become an important town until the middle of the 1700s, partly due the efforts of the French governor Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais, whose statue stands in the city's main square and has become a symbol of Port Louis.
From the late eighteenth century the city suffered an incredible series of fires, cyclones and epidemics that continued for just over 100 years and decimated its population, most of whom moved to the safer and healthier central plateau of the island. Today the capital has made a complete economic recovery, but its population is relatively small and most of those who work there commute from the plateau.
The centre of Port Louis is characterised by a grid of streets that slopes gently towards the port and the main tourist attractions are concentrated on the seafront.
The Central Market is very popular with tourists, due to its bustling activity and variety of wares, which range from fruit and vegetables to handicrafts, souvenir t-shirts and Ayurvedic medicines from India.
The modern Blue Penny Museum, named after one of the two most valuable stamps in the world, traces the history of Mauritius from the island's discovery to the present day. The exhibits of the Natural History Museum include a reproduction of a dodo, the famous mysterious bird that died out in the 17th century, whose appearance has been reconstructed from the sketches of the first sailors who landed on the island and from the chance discovery of the only known skeleton. Fort Adelaide, also known as the Citadel, was built by the British in the style of a Moorish Fortress on a hill offering splendid views of the city. |
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